Breakfast
at the Loontwills’ table includes gossip gleaned from the newspaper, as well as
a recap of the previous evening’s ball, which the young ladies attended. The
paper reveals that a gruesome discovery was made in the library at that very
same ball by an unnamed young lady. Funny, no one remembers any such incident.
No one other than Alexia, that is. For she is the young lady in question, the
recipient of an unprovoked attack by a starving vampire. Good thing that Alexia
Tarabotti is more than she appears to be. She is, in fact, a preternatural!

Synopsis:

As if this
weren’t bad enough, after dispatching said vampire at said ball, Alexia pretends
to faint but no one will leave her alone, and then she finds herself under the
scrutiny of two of the gentlemen of B.U.R.—the Bureau of Unnatural
Registration—who’ve come to check into things. Alexia gets along very well with
Professor Lyall, but Lord Maccon is another matter entirely. They’ve not been
on the best of terms ever since a little matter of a hedgehog…

While
taking a turn in the park with her best friend, Ivy, Alexia is accosted by an
actress with an invitation—to visit a hive! It’s not like the vampires to
invite anyone in, so Alexia, concerned as to their motivation, seeks counsel
from her vampire friend, the flamboyant Lord Akeldama. Lord A is unsure just
what is going on with them; he tells her she needs all the knowledge she can
acquire before venturing into enemy territory, and the best source for this
would be Lord Maccon. “Use your… feminine wiles upon him” is his suggestion.

Mysterious
disappearances of the supernatural kind are becoming too commonplace in London,
and both sides are concerned. Alexia is determined to get to the bottom of
things, which brings her into closer and closer… contact… with Lord Maccon. And
some interesting information is… revealed. But in the process, Alexia finds
herself dealing with forces that are determined to use the supernatural for
their own purposes.

Will her
inquisitive nature pull Alexia in over her head? And will her stubbornness
prevent her from seeing what is beneath her very nose? And will Lord Maccon
realize that Alexia is not an alpha female werewolf, but a very strong woman
who doesn’t play by werewolf rules when it comes to certain matters?

Commentary:

Having read the entire Parasol Protectorate series, I admit to being
apprehensive concerning the introduction of the manga. However, my fears were
proven to be groundless from the beginning, as I plunged into this graphic
presentation of the books and found myself instantly transported into Alexia’s
world.

Naturally, not everything was as I saw it in my own mind when I read the
books. Alexia is prettier than I think she should be, Lord Maccon fairer and
Lord Akeldama more effeminate. But that having been said, I began to enjoy them
just the way they’re drawn. Especially Lord Maccon (and thank you, dear REM,
for those very lovely images of his backside!) I especially enjoyed the chibi
wolf scenes—they were totally adorable!

REM has done a magnificent job of translating Gail Carriger’s words into
these very memorable images. I find myself picking up the book and opening it
at random and simply re-reading the different scenes. And of course, no one can
write Ms. Carriger the way she can. I’m grateful that no attempt was made to
find another author for the manga.

Alexia is her usual in-your-face self, which I love. Her family is still
loony. Professor Lyall is a lamb (not literally, just figuratively). Lord
Akeldama is not just colorful, but he is very intelligent, sensitive, and
stronger than he looks (don’t forget, he is
vampire). Lord Maccon—what can I say? The man… er, werewolf… is sex on two
legs, and where can I get one, please?

All of the spirit of adventure, the wonderful steampunk details so
carefully constructed and brought to life, the supernatural mysteries, and the
sheer delight that was so characteristic of the books is very much present
here. I love the cover, with Alexia’s arms protectively about the snarling
black wolf. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Whether you read the books first, and then the manga, or the other way
around, be sure to read them all. I’m so looking forward to the next manga. I
truly hated to see this one end, despite knowing everything that is to come.
Watching it unfold before my very eyes—priceless. Dare I hope that a film is in
the future? A girl can dream, right?